In The Empire's Hands
by solo23
Summary: Luke is captured by the Empire, and it's up to Han and Leia to save him...but time is running out...please read and review! rating just to be safe
1. Captured

In the Empire's Hands

Author's Note: This takes place shortly after Return of the Jedi. This is my first attempt to write a Luke, Han, and Leia story, so any reviews of how it is going will help! Also, if you read my other story (completely unrelated to this one), it was updated fairly regularly. I'll try to update this weekly, but I may get a bit behind sometimes.

_Disclaimer: The Star Wars galaxy belongs to George Lucas...I merely visit every once in a while_

* * *

He entered the catina cautiously. Glancing over his shoulder, Luke knew something was going to go wrong. To anyone else, the catina's bustling activity and occasional fights would seem ordinary. However, the young man could sense danger lurking here.

The Rebels had just blown up the second Death Star a few months before. Unsurprisingly, their leaders were still on the Empire's most wanted list. As Luke took another step forward, entering the center of the room, his fears were confirmed. He felt a blaster shoved against his back, and watched as stormtroopers surrounded him. It all happened too fast for him to retrieve his lightsaber, which seemed to be stuck in his utility belt.

An Imperial Commander entered the circle, announced," Luke Skywalker, you're under arrest for acts of terrorism against the Empire."

Luke closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He didn't resist as the stormtrooper jerked his arms behind his back and tightened binders around his wrists. Luke was escorted back to the Commander's ship by his entire capture party. The closest trooper never lowered his weapon from its position against Luke's back.

* * *

"Shouldn't Luke be back by now?" Leia asked with concern. Her brother was more than a day late to their rendevouz point, and was not responding when she tried to contact him through the comlink.

Han felt the same way as Leia. However, he also felt that he should comfort her," I'm sure he's fine, Leia. The kid is probably chasing some lead and forgot his comlink at the hotel."

Leia's comlink buzzed. Glancing at the ID, she saw it was a call from Luke. She answered," Luke, where have you been!"

"He's been with me," an amused voice replied. Leia's heart sank and she knew from the voice's tone that Luke was in trouble.

"Who is this?" Leia questioned nervously.

"This is Commander Glarin," the cruel voice replied," tell your Rebel leaders that they have three standard days to turn themselves over to the Empire, or your friend Luke Skywalker will be dead."

With that, the communication was ended, and Leia was left staring in horror at the comlink. Han moved in what seemed like slow motion to embrace Leia. His mouth was gaping open with disbelief.

Slowly, Han reached for the comlink, and took it from Leia's hand. He took a few steps back, away from Leia, then called headquarters. Mon Mothma's familiar voice greeted him," Good to hear from you, Captain Solo. Was your mission sucessful?"

Han was confused at first. Then he remembered why they were here in the first place. Luke had gone to meet someone in a catina, hoping to sway the neutral planet toward the Rebellion's side. He closed his eyes and replied," No. The Imperials captured Luke."

He could hear an entire room gasp through the comlink. Mon Mothma's voice was filled with sorrow as she asked," Have they made any demands?"

"Yes..." Han trailed off," they have demanded that all of the Rebel leaders turn themselves over to the Empire in the next three days...If we don't cooperate, they will kill Luke."

Mon Mothma's voice was tense as she replied," Understood. Return to base immediately. Do not, under any circumstances, allow yourselves to be captured by the Empire. We will have to hope that Luke can hold out until we can rescue him."

Han caught Leia's eye. Both held a look of concern and quiet determination. Leia whispered," You know what we have to do, don't you?"

The man nodded, then muttered to himself," I have a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

Luke's head swam, and he could taste the blood in his mouth. A throbbing sensation filled his mind as he collided with the back of his small cell. He barely had time to lift his head before a rather sharp boot kicked him in the stomach. A distant voice demanded," Where is the Rebel base?"

He could manage no more than a grunt in response, and was rewarded with the boot connecting with his face. Luke could hear his nose crack, and felt the blood that came pouring out. No longer could he hold on to consciousness. A door swooshed open and footsteps grew distant as the world went black.

Hours later, Luke finally woke up. He opened his eyes slowly. He pushed himself up slowly, grunting in pain. Every part of his body was aching, and his head felt like it was going to explode. Slowly, memories of the events of the past few days returned. He reached his hand up slowly, then touched his nose. He winced in pain. It was completely shattered, and Luke was glad there were no mirrors. He could feel the dried blood clinging to his face.

Pain threatened to overtake him again, and Luke called to his sister through the Force. He only hoped he wasn't leading her into danger.

* * *

"Luke..." Leia muttered under her breath. Her statement ended in a gasp as she sensed his pain. She had been dozing off in the cockpit of the _Falcon_ when her brother's painful cry reached her. She could feel Han's eyes on her, and she stated," I sensed Luke. We have to help him...I'm not sure how much longer he will survive."

Han's eyes were filled with concern and he asked," What do you mean?"

"They're killing him," Leia answered tearfully.

"Do you have a plan?" Han asked with a mischevious smile. Leia cocked an eyebrow and stared at him for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. Han's smile widened as he declared," We'll go with my plan, then."

Leia's eyes widened and she let out a mock gasp of horror," And what would that be, Solo?"

"We're gonna go get him," Han smiled broadly," it'll be like old times. Maybe we'll even drop into an Imperial garbage pit!"

"But we have orders to go back to base," Leia replied a bit too innocently. Her expression turned serious and she asked," How are we going to get in? They aren't going to fall for your stormtrooper act again..."

A pained expression passed over Han's face, but it was gone in a moment. He answered," One of us will have to be a stormtrooper. The other will be turned over to the Imperials...I think you should be the stormtrooper, Leia. I can handle them. Besides, you're the expert at getting us out."

Leia laughed quietly remembering Han's last rescue mission. She wasn't particularly happy about turning the man she loved over to the enemy, but they had to get in. Besides, she would have Chewie and the droids for back-up, should anything go wrong. She agreed hesitantly to her plan. If Luke's life were not at stake, she wouldn't agree to such a spontaneous plan.

Leia sighed and agreed with Han. Looking out the viewport, she could see a Star Destroyer coming into view. Needless to say, she was not looking forward to boarding another of the Empire's ship, especially under such dangerous conditions.

* * *

Luke's breaths were still shallow and painful. He had managed to climb his way onto the small cot in his room, but the action took most of his energy. At the moment he was on his back, trying to ease the pain caused by breathing, _One problem at a time...first, I have to get into a functional state. Then I can worry about getting out of here..._

Slowly, Luke sat up. He sensed something was going on aboard the ship, but couldn't tell what it was. Pain was shooting through his body, but his mind stopped registering it. To him, his body had merely gone numb. Drawing on the Force, he swiveled delicately and placed his feet on the ground. With great effort, Luke managed to push himself onto his feet. He stumbled over to the door and used the Force to peel it off the wall.

Sighing in relief, Luke nearly fell when he tried to step over the door. To his surprise, there were no guards that he could see. Luke left the detention block and entered a hallway. He saw a vent in the ceiling, and used the Force to push it away. It wasn't until he was sitting in the vent until he realized how much he had been using the Force. He hadn't even known he could do such things with it. Unfortunately, he also was feeling his previous injuries more clearly.

Luke turned and started climbing toward the shipping bays. He glanced through the vents whenever he was over them. After several minutes of climbing, Luke let out a hoarse shout of surprise," No, Han!"

The vent gave in to his weight, dropping him onto the floor directly in front of Han and the stormtrooper escorting him. The pair paused for a moment, staring at the crumpled, bloody, and bruised young man before them. Han cried," Luke! We were just coming to rescue you!"

Luke didn't respond. Leia tore her helmet of and knelt beside him, turning him onto his back. His wrist was held at an unnatural angle, a result of the unexpected fall. Luke's eyes were closed, and Leia knew he was unconscious. She felt a wave of sympathy as her eyes swept across his body. His nose was smashed, and the dried blood covered his face. This did not, however, cover the many scratches randomly placed on his face, nor the black ring that was developing around his left eye.

"We have to get him out of here," Leia stated softly. She couldn't believe someone could actually injure her brother so horribly and leave him to die. Han's eyes were wide with horror. He was not, however, staring at Luke. Leia followed his gaze and gasped in horror. They were surrounded by stormtroopers. Actually, considering that they were on a ship that belonged to the Empire, the stormtroopers appearance wasn't particularly surprising.

"Don't move," a stormtrooper ordered. The other troopers marched toward the trio, pulling each to their feet. One stormtrooper got stuck carrying Luke, who was still unconscious.

Leia was close enough to Han to hear him grumble," Isn't this just wonderful..."

He recieved a sharp jab in the side for his comment, and proceeded to glare at the offending stormtrooper. The stormtrooper either didn't notice, or didn't find the expression important enough to to react. Han shot an expecting glance at Leia as they neared the detention block, as if he were waiting for her to spring her escape plan into action. She could merely shake her head helplessly before a look of concern once again crossed over her face and she was watching Luke's unconscious form being tossed into a cell.

Han gave her a final desperate look before he was forced into a cell of his own. Leia walked into her cell calmly, knowing that resisting would not do any good. She glared coldly at the stormtroopers as they left her cell and locked the door. All she could do was wait.

* * *

Mon Mothma stood before a large assembly of rebels. Struggling to keep the sorrow out of her voice, she announced," Princess Leia and Captain Solo recently informed us that Luke has been captured by the Empire..."

The entire room erupted in gasps of disbelief and shocked comments. Once the silence was restored, Mon Mothma continued," We have now discovered that the Captain and Princess were captured as well, while attempting to free Luke."

The room was once again filled with commotion, and someone yelled," What are we going to do about it?"

Mon Mothma's face was full of sorrow as she replied," There is nothing we can do. They have demanded that all of the rebels turn themselves in, but we cannot do that. It would undermine our companions' mission. We must hope that they can escape. After all, this is Han, Luke, and Leia we're talking about..."

As the meeting was adjorned, the rebels spoke softly," May the Force be with them..."


	2. Things Go Wrong

Author's Note: I'm still trying to get used to writing Han, Leia, and Luke's characters...if they ever don't seem like themselves, I'm sorry, but I have a good reason for everything-for example, in the previous chapter, I know Luke isn't one to just surrender. But, he was surrounded, so he would have been captured anyway, and there were innocent (okay, maybe not completely innocent...) people in the catina as well, and he didn't want anyone to get hurt. Besides, his lightsaber was stuck in his utility belt!!

**Nemesis' Arrow:** I hope that the author's note explained that well enough...sorry!! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reviewing!

**stocktonwood:** I'm glad you like the story so far! hopefully, it won't disappoint you!

**Gevaden:** I hope you like this chapter! Thank you for reviewing!

**Princess-Aiel:** I'm glad you are enjoying it. I'm sorry its fast...I tend to get right to the point. I'll try to slow it down, though. Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

Luke's consciousness returned slowly. Looking around groggily, his heart sank. The walls were the familiar color of Imperial detention cell white. He fought his rising despair as he realized that if he was back in his cell, Han would be as well. Vaguely, he wondered where Leia and Chewbacca were. Luke twisted around painfully when he heard voices somewhere beyond his door.

Abruptly, the door opened and two stormtroopers marched in. Without a word, they seized him and led him further down the hall, toward a dead end. Luke raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. One of the stormtroopers hid a laugh, causing an even more perplexed expression to pass over Luke's face. The other stormtrooper, whom Luke had just noticed was considerably shorter, blasted a hole in the garbage chute. Luke's eyes widened as he was shoved in.

As he unburied himself from the junk surrounding him, Luke heard two familiar voices laughing histerically. He spun around and came face to face with Han and Leia. Both of whom were wearing stormtrooper armor, without the helmets. Luke scowled," You could have told me who you were."

"Your face...it was so funny!" Han shouted as he laughed.

"If that happened to you, I doubt your face would be much better," Luke retorted. Leia was gazing at Luke with concern. When he noticed, Luke asked," What's wrong, Leia?"

Leia sighed and asked," Are you all right?"

Glancing at his broken left wrist, Luke replied," I will be. Don't worry, Leia."

His sister nodded uncertainly, drifting toward the small hatch that led to the shipping bay. Han managed to pry the hatch open, and they found themselves staring at the bottom of the _Falcon_. Han and Leia helped Luke scramble out. Leia followed her injured brother, although Han had to give her a boost to get out. Han leapt out and brought his companions to the cargo entrance of the ship.

"I'll be glad to get out of here..." Luke said softly to himself.

Leia heard him and smiled sympathectically," I'm not surprised. Your visit wasn't too pleasant."

Han shook his head, never had he been very good at sentiments. He then proceeded to open the cargo hold, accessible from the ship's bottom. Luke shook his head as he pulled himself in. _I should have known Han would have a back door._

Once everyone was inside, Han led them down a long tunnel until he reached what appeared to be a dead end. When he knocked softly, the wall melted away, revealing a rather large, hairy being. Han smiled and greeted it," Hey Chewie!"

The Wookie growled his response, and they crawled out into the main portion of the ship. Luke noticed that they had come in through the hidden compartments he had waited in before, years ago, when he had his first brush with the Empire. It was on that same mission that he lost Ben Kenobi.

"You all right, kid?" Han asked, snapping Luke back into reality.

Luke nodded, still feeling a bit of sorrow at the thought of Ben's death," I'll be fine."

Leia wandered over and put a hand on Luke's shoulder, saying," You seem to be using that phrase a lot lately. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Luke tried to put confidence in his voice," Of course. I'm going to be fine, Leia. Don't worry."

Leia still looked uncertain, but Han was calling for them to come to go to the guns. Luke took one side while Leia took the other, and they were off. It wasn't until they were out of the Star Destroyer that Han thought to ask," Luke? How are you shooting with one hand?"

"Ah, with a bit of assistance," Luke called back, immediately refocusing on the task at hand. A TIE fighter closed in on the left, and Luke closed his eyes, drawing on the Force. Trusting the Force to aim, he pushed his thumb down. The young man opened his eyes just in time to see the fighter explode. Han saw the display as well, and shook his head in disbelief. _How does he do it?_

* * *

"What do you mean, they've escaped?" the commander asked in disbelief. His eyes blazed with anger as he turned on the unfortunate messenger," Who was supposed to be watching them?"

"There was a bit about the schedule today, Commander," the uncomfortable admiral replied. He continued," There was no one on duty when the prisoners went missing."

The commander glared at the messenger. He quickly dismissed him, giving only one order. The prisoners had to be recaptured, alive.

* * *

"I've got it!" Luke called hours later, when their pursuers had seemed to give up. In his hand he held a homing device. The young man sprinted up to the cockpit, where he was greeted by Han.

"Thought so," Han muttered to himself. Looking up, he stated," I'll disable it. Luke, you need to have Leia help you with that wrist."

Luke sighed as he wandered back toward his sister, who seemed to know why he was coming. He extended his left arm hesitantly, and immediately felt Leia's gentle grip on his forearm. Her eyes were apologetic as she asked," Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath, trying to conceal the growing fear, Luke nodded. Leia's other and tightened firmly around his left hand, and she snapped it back into place quickly. This motion drew out a loud, pained cry from Luke. He jerked back involuntarily, and Leia could see his pain reflecting through his eyes. Luke paled significantly from the extreme pain, and Leia felt remorseful.

Seeing Leia's face, Luke comforted her," You had to do it. I am grateful you did. Imagine if it had stayed that way! There would be no more use for me..."

Leia smiled at her brother's generosity. It was immensly difficult to find someone who cared more about your pain than their own, and even more difficult to be that person. She gently told her brother to rest, then went to check on Han.

* * *

"Luke, I'm gonna need you up here!" Han's cry echoed through the ship. Despite his discomfort, Luke ran to his friend immediately. Leia was there in an instant as well.

Once the twins arrived in the cockpit, the reason behind Han's order was clear. The _Falcon_ was surrounded by Imperial ships. Luke never hesitated and went straight to the laser cannons. Leia followed quickly, but tumbled down the hall as Han pulled the ship into a sharp turn. Luke fired at the nearest TIE, as Leia hollered at Han to be careful.

After taking several hits, Han managed to maneuver the _Falcon_ out of the Imperial trap and hit lightspeed. Luke walked over to Leia shakily, and his face was considerably more pale than normal. Suddenly, Luke stumbled and Leia was at his side immediately. Helping him to the nearest seat, Leia called to Han to come help.

Han appeared a few moments later, grumbling about women and how they always wanted him to do things _immediately_. His grumbling ceased when he saw his friend sitting on the bed, swaying. Looking at Leia, he demanded," What happened? I thought he said he was fine!"

"Doesn't he always say he is fine?" Leia replied, rolling her eyes. Their attention was brought abrubtly back to Luke as he gasped and passed out. Their eyes traveled first to Luke, then looked up and met each other. Leia spoke first," How far is the base?"

Han's eyes narrowed as he thought about it, then answered," We can make it. It's only about a half hour away, and we're already at lightspeed."

Sighing, Leia positioned Luke into a more comfortable position, and silently hoped they would make it in time. Staring at Luke, she thought, _What happened? He seemed all right before the fight._

* * *

Luke awoke with a groan. His eyes seemed glued shut, and he was having difficulty opening them. Once he finally managed to get them open, they snapped shut again. Lights were glaring above him, and his eyes could not handle them yet. Slowly, he tried to push himself into a sitting position, but was overtaken by dizziness. He could hear voices around him, and he wondered vaguely, _What's going on? Where am I? What's wrong with me?_

* * *

"Princess Leia, you wanted us to inform you of any changes in Luke's condition," a medic declared as he approached Leia. The woman nodded, hoping that the change was a positive one. The medic continued," He has regained consciousness, although he still doesn't seem entirely with us."

Leia walked briskly over to her brother's bed. He sensed her presence, and opened his eyes slightly. With a raspy voice, he managed to say," Leia? What..."

Smiling sadly, she covered his mouth before he could finish the question. She softly explained," We made it back to the base shortly after you passed out. You have to stay in bed, Luke, and don't try to move around. Your injuries are healing well. However, you seem to have fallen ill."

Luke closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. Leia told him to rest as she left to find Han.

* * *

"I imagine Skywalker will be feeling the effects of the disease we administered by now," Commander Glarin declared with a smirk.

The scientist who had created the deadly disease nodded in response before replying," The rebels will have to listen to your demands. Only I have the cure."

* * *

Suddenly, the medic bay was bustling with activity. Leia and Han rushed in, hand in hand, immediately. They met each others eyes and let go immediately, hoping no one had seen them. Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused upon Luke.

The young Jedi seemed to be having a seizure. His entire body was jerking, and his breathing was irregular. Eyes wide with shock, Han yelled," What's going on?"

"We don't know, Captain," a medic said, trying to keep his tone calm despite his frustration," he seemed to be improving. We've discovered a large amount of bacteria spreading rapidly, but we can't seem to kill them or slow them down. This disease is...well, it's not like anything we have ever seen before."

Han's fist clenched in anger, and Leia immediately asked," How do you believe he recieved this disease?"

"It was injected while he was still a prisoner of the Empire," the same medic replied. He continued," Apparently it takes a few days to start showing symptoms. We'll have to test both of you to make sure you don't have it."

As Han and Leia turned to go be inspected, they heard a cry," He has gone into a coma!"

* * *

Author's Note: Before you start sending me reviews telling me that the last line is this chapter is really stupid, I already know. It bothers me, but I didn't want to make everyone wait a month for me to find the right way to phrase that. So, give me your suggestions, and I'll fix it. Sorry!! The next chapter should be up next weekend...I hope. Okay, now review! Please, let me know what you think! 


	3. Cure With a Cost

**sHINI:** While I'm glad you were honest about your opinion, I would appreciate it if you could tell me _why_ you think the story is stupid. I'm sure there is a reason, after all, you can't just go around telling people their stories are stupid without giving some reasons behind it. Thank you for reviewing. Please give more reasoning behind your opinion next time, otherwise I can't make it better.

**Nemesis' Arrow:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad my explanation made sense. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Sweetdeath04:** I'm glad you like this story, too! Thank you for reviewing!

**stocktonwood:** Thank you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapters as much as the others!

**Autumn's Fire: **I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I'll try to update again next week! Thank you for reviewing!

**Tholhidhwen: **Thank you for your review! It's great that you're liking the story so far.

Author's Note: I realize that some of the characters really aren't themselves in this chapter, but ther's a reason, so be patient! I will try to get everyone back into character in the next chapter.

* * *

Three days later, Luke was still stuck in a coma, his condition steadily worsening. Leia and Han had both checked out completely healthy, disregarding a few minor cuts and bruises that were inevitable at close quarters with Imperials. Leia sat by Luke's side constantly, only leaving when Han half dragged her out to get food. Luke's breathing had become irregular, and the medics had him attached to a breathing maching, hoping it would help.

Leia felt her stomach plummet as a voice called," We can't help him! We don't know what this disease is, therefore we cannot cure it! I'm afraid we will have to go to the Empire if we want to save him. However, I would only give him another day, at most. Decide quickly."

Glancing desperately at Han, Leia fled the medical wing. Han sighed and ran after her, asking her to wait. He followed her through the twisting hallways until finally they halted. After only a moment's hesitation Leia burst into Mon Mothma's office. Han followed, blushing slightly. He knew Leia was going to yell, and was feeling rather awkward, standing in the background.

Sure enough, the predictable yelling came. Leia's face took a purple hue as she demanded," We have to do something to help Luke! The medics say that only the Empire can help him, and I refuse to believe it!"

Mon Mothma never so much as flinched at Leia's fury. She calmly replied," We're working on it, Princess. However, communication with the Empire rarely goes well. We have only two options, Leia. We can allow Luke to die, or we can turn to the Empire for help."

Leia glared at her old friend, knowing it was true. She struggled to regain her composure as she announced," We cannot allow him to die."

"So you would have us sacrifice all we have worked to achieve to save one man's life," Mon Mothma started sadly, earning a cold scowl from Leia. More softly she continued," A man who would most likely die if we followed the Empire's wishes anyway."

As the words were spoken, Leia felt her eyes fill with tears. A comforting arm rested around her shoulders, and she looked over to see Han. She was surprised for a moment, having been completely unaware that he had followed her. He whispered in her ear, quietly enough that it was audible only to Leia," We will find a way. We always do."

The young woman met his eyes and a faint smile appeared on her face. Han quickly turned back to Mon Mothma, whose eyes were sparkling with sudden recognition. Blushing slightly, Han nodded a goodbye and led Leia out of the room. As soon as they were out, Han announced softly," I'm going to get the cure for Luke."

Startled, Leia looked up sharply and replied," How do intend to do that, Han?"

"I'm going to go have a little chat with our new friends," Han sighed, wincing at the expression of fury on Leia's face. He explained," It's the only way to save Luke. And there's no way I'm going to let you walk back into their hands."

Leia shook her head, then replied stubbornly," If you're going to walk into the hands of the Empire, you won't go alone. I will not lose the two people closest to me."

With a mischevious grin, Han sprinted toward the _Falcon_, and Leia was right behind him. Chewie howled a question to Han, who ineloquently replied," Just get on the ship, Chewie!"

Han shot his ship out of the bay, miscellanious rebels still yelling at him to come back. Paying them no heed, Han set the course toward the Imperial ship he had been imprisoned in. Leia was seated behind him. Suddenly, Han was filled with dread. A voice that was all too familiar came drifting down the hall. Slowly, he turned to see C-3PO wandering their way. Sadly, he thought,_ I thought we left him for once! Must that droid go everywhere with us?_

Leia seemed to be having similar thoughts as she asked," Should I shut him off?"

"No, I just love listening to him ramble," Han replied sarcastically. Leia rolled her eyes as she shut off the droid. She did not, however, retort to Han's remark. Turning back toward Han, she knew he was just as worried about Luke as she was.

* * *

The medics gazed helplessly at the young pilot before them. They had tried everything to help him, but it had no effect. Suddenly, Mon Mothma broke the silence," Han, Leia, and Chewbacca left. I believe they have gone to retrieve the cure."

"What!" one medic cried,"That's insanity! Not even Han would do something so foolish!"

A look of deep weariness appeared upon Mon Mothma's face, and she replied," You would do anything for the people you love. That is why they went."

* * *

"We've got company!" Han cried suddenly. Chewie stuck his shaggy head out the hole he had crawled down while trying to fix yet another problem on the ship, and howled a question. Han's annoyed voice called," Imperials!"

Leia wasted no time finding her way to the laser cannons. She sat down and started firing at the TIE fighters that were swarming around the _Falcon_. Han was manuevering the old ship with unbelievable speed, and Leia's accuracy in firing was unbelievable. Everything froze, however, when a voice came over the comm," I know why you're hear, Captain Solo."

Han was slightly unnerved by the icy voice. He immediately tried to hide it while replying mockingly," And why am I here?"

"To get the cure for your rebel friend," the Imperial's voice responded, followed by cold laughter. Han's eyes narrowed.

The irritated man shot back," If you know what we're after, why don't you send it over?"

There was an audible sigh over the comm, and the voice replied," I cannot do that. We didn't infect Skywalker without a reason, Captain Solo. I would strongly suggest you cooperate, without sarcastic remarks. Skywalker's time is running out. I would say he has two days left, at most, without the medication."

Leia heard the last sentence and immediately ran up, asking," What do you want us to do?"

"Ah, I wondered when you would be joining the conversation, Princess Organa," the Imperial said softly. His voice was brisk and buisness-like when he answered," We want you and Captain Solo to join the Empire. However, you will not tell anyone that you have switched sides. You will be our spies, and when the time is right, we will destroy the Rebellion."

Turning to Leia, Han could see she was horrorstruck. He was in a state of disbelief himself. Neither of them had been expecting that. How could they betray the Rebellion, and Luke in the process? At the same time, how could they allow Luke to die when the cure was so close? Leia let out a heavy sigh before replying," We agree."

Han nearly died of shock at Leia's words. Never had he imagined Leia blantantly betraying the Rebellion to save one person, even if the person was her brother. Neither of them noticed the Imperial thanking them and informing them that a representative would be boarding shortly to deliver the counteracting substance. They also did not hear that the substance was only temporary, and if their loyaltly waned, they would not recieve the permanent cure. Their minds were completely blank with shock.

Moments later, Han came out of his trance, and yelled," What'dya mean, we agree?"

"We had to, Han," Leia turned toward him. Her voice was confident as she continued," Once they have given us the medicine, we will explain the situation to Mon Mothma. Luke will recover, and everything will go back to normal."

"They aren't going to let us off so easy, Leia," Han remarked with aggrivation," they will give us a temporary cure, and force us to work for them. We will be in this situation again."

"I already thought of that!" Leia snapped. Sighing, she continued," We can replicate it. It can be given to him as often as he needs it. Eventually, we will capture the scientist who created the disease and he will give us the permanent cure."

Han shook his head and mumbled," I hope you know what you're getting us into..."

A comforting hand rested on Han's arm, and Leia reassured him," I know, Han. Don't worry."

A small shuttle pulled up beside the _Falcon, _and a short, stubby man in a dingy Imperial uniform boarded. The man gave Han a murderous look as he handed over the tube of medication, and Han could tell that the officer was just as displeased to be on this ship as Han was to have him. As soon as the substance was safely in Han's pocket, the Imperial shuffled back to his ship, leaving Han and Leia free to go.

"That was easy," Han murmured, preparing the ship to go back to the base. Leia nodded, then sat down in the seat behind Han. They had gotten away safely from the Imperials safely, and had a temporary cure for Luke. Hopefully, the rebel scientists would be able to replicate it so Luke could take regular injections until they could find a more permanent solution. If not, Luke and all of the other rebels would be in a lot of trouble.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm going to try to have the next chapter up next weekend, but I won't garuntee anything...stupid teachers keep giving me too much homework...oh well. I'll try! Also, when you're reviewing, if you want to criticize, please tell me whats wrong with the story, don't just say "this story sucks!" Thank you!


	4. Decisions

Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I was out of town a lot, and teachers decided to pile up on homework. I'm so so so sorry! And it's not even a long chapter...

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"Han, Leia!" a relieved voice yelled as the couple walked down the ramp. As soon as they reached the source of the voice, they were greeted by Wedge's scowl," Where did you go?"

Leia closed her eyes briefly, then diplomatically announced," We need to see Mon Mothma and the base's best scientists and medics as soon as possible."

Wedge nodded briskly, only briefly wondering why they needed to see such an assembly. He ran off to collect the requested group, and Han and Leia were left alone. Han extracted the tube containing the medication for Luke and stared at the tube. After a moment, he turned to Leia," How do we know this is even going to work? It might just make things worse."

"Worse than they already are?" Leia replied dryly, one eyebrow cocked. Han sighed, slumping for a moment. As the requested group drew closer, Han straightened and attempted to look diplomatic.

Keeping her expression impassive, Mon Mothma greeted them," It's nice to see you have returned in good health. That is a rare occurence when making trips to Imperial ships. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes," Leia stated sadly," but it could cost us greatly. In exchange for what I am assuming is merely a temperary relief of the disease, they enlisted Han and myself to help them destroy the rebellion."

"What!" a dismayed voice cried. A scientist stepped forward, eyes full of hurt and betrayal. She continued," I...I never would have suspected you to assist the Imperials with our destruction! Not after what they did to you, and Luke, and Alderaan!"

Anger flashed through Han's eyes as he retorted," And we would never betray you! That is why we are risking our lives in this twisted situation! The Empire believes we will help them, but we won't. We need _you_ to replicate Luke's medication a couple hundred times. That way, we don't have to play the Empire's game!"

The scientist retreated, feebly muttering an apology. Mon Mothma, however, stared at Han and Leia incrediously. Leia sighed, throwing a nasty look at Han before explaining," They gave us the medication in exchange for our cooperation in destroying the Rebellion. However, they knew we would not join them that easily, so we believe that the cure will only alleviate Luke of his symptoms temporarily. Long enough for more of the substance to be made, as well as investigated. Eventually, we hope that a cure can be found. The Empire most likely already knows that we have gone back on our side of the bargain. We will not be able to rely on their cooperation."

"What's done is done," Mon Mothma sighed. The unusual display of weariness and emotion worried Leia. It was not like Mon Mothma to show that anything was affecting her. However, before Leia had the opportunity to ask if anything was wrong, the medication was wisked away and the group dispersed, leaving Han and Leia alone once again.

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A fault in their plan was quickly discovered. The medicine could not be effectively copied, so Luke's dose that he took now would have to last until they could either capture the scientist who created the disease, or until a cure was found. Leia gripped Luke's hand tightly as they administered the medicine. It took effect after a few moments, and Luke opened his eyes for the first time in nearly a week.

"Leia?" Luke asked weakly as he struggled to sit up.

Leia pushed him back down gently. Softly, she told him," Everything is going to be ok, Luke."

Just behind Leia, Luke could see Han. The older man's expression suggested that he was fine, but Luke could sense his underlying concern through the Force. Luke met Han's eyes and raised an eyebrow, prompting him to explain what he was feeling.

"How does he always know?" Han muttered to himself. He then told Luke," I'm just worried about what the Empire is going to do, Luke."

Luke could tell he was lying, but didn't have the energy to press the matter. In time he would find out what happened. Slowly, Luke brought a hand up to his nose, wondering if it had healed. Fortunately, it seemed to be healing properly, if not a little bit more slowly than usual. His left wrist was still extremely stiff, and a glance down at it told Luke that it had been freshly wrapped that morning.

"How do you feel?" a medic asked Luke as he walked by.

Luke smiled and replied," I've been worse."

Leia glared at Luke as he stated those words again. After a moment, they both started laughing. Han rolled his eyes as the medic left with a baffled expression. Luke started to get out of bed, and Leia promptly pushed him back down, shaking her head. She wasn't about to allow Luke to push himself too far too fast after all they had done to save him. With a sigh, she realized that he probably didn't know how close to dying he had come.

"Stay here, Luke," Leia directed sternly, causing Luke to scowl.

"I'm fine, Leia," Luke remarked, getting out of bed despite Leia's furious protests. He stumbled out the door, and Leia got up grudgingly, helping him back to his corridors. He flashed her a big grin as he dug out his normal clothing and got dressed.

Han stood in the doorway. When Luke saw him, he demanded," What didn't you tell me?"

"A lot, acutally," Han stated casually. A glare from Luke prompted him to continue," The Empire's not going to help us again, and we don't know how long you're going to be all right. Leia and I were going to try to find the scientist who created the disease. Then, we're gonna catch him and make him give us the cure."

Luke nodded slightly and replied," What are we waiting for?"

"Luke..." Leia trailed off threateningly. When her statement was recieved with an innocent look, she snapped," You can't go, Luke! Stay here!"

Sighing deeply, Luke told her," I can't do that, Leia. It's my fault you are going, and I'm well enough to help. You're not leaving me out this time."

Reluctantly, Leia agreed to let Luke come with. However, at the first sign of not feeling well, he had to tell her. Luke packed quickly, and followed Han and Leia to the _Falcon_. Chewie gave an inquisitive howl upon their approach, to which Han yelled at him to just get on the ship. Han took off almost immediately, once again disregarding the orders and protocol of the Rebel headquarters.

"How are you going to find this guy?" Luke asked as he approached Han. As the pilot looked up, Luke continued," He could be anywhere."

The older man sighed and started at one of the many screens in front of him," I don't know Luke. I'm hoping he hasn't left their main ship. If he has, we'll just have to track him down."

Shaking his head as he left the cockpit, Luke muttered," I have a bad feeling about this."

Turning to Chewie, Han said," We're really in deep this time, aren't we."

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"They have gone back on their side of the deal!" a dismayed scientist cried. Beriaxaan Leza was quite unhappy that their trick had not suceeded. Now, he had no doubt that the Rebels would be hunting him in attempt to rescue their precious Jedi hero. The young scientist knew that such risks would come with the job, but he had always hoped he would be able to escape them. That now seemed highly unlikely.

Commander Glarin was displeased by the Rebels' actions as well. He had not expected complete loyalty, but he had thought that they would care enough about their friend to play along for a little while. The disgruntled commander replied," They have, and they will pay most dearly. Soon, the last Jedi shall die, and they will be left on their own. Without Skywalker, the Rebel forces will be considerably weaker."

Beriaxaan was still not satisfied. He questioned coldly," What are you going to do to keep them from capturing me?"

"That's a problem with an easy solution," the commander declared with an evil smirk. He withdrew a blaster from within his utility belt and aimed it at Beriaxaan's heart. A single shot was fired, but it was enough.

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Please review!!! It makes me write faster, really...


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